Saddle for cycles



March 28, 1939. Ejw. swan lSADDLE FOR CYCLES Original Filed April 24, 1936 Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES SADDLE FOR CYCLES Earl W. Swett, Alma, Mich., assignor to The Lobdell-Emery Manufacturing Company, Alma, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 24, 1936, Serial No. 76,271 Renewed March 8, 1938 7 Claims.

This invention relates to saddles for cycles such for instance as are commonly used in connection with bicycles and motorcycles for resiliently supporting the weight of the rider thereof.

Saddles of this type are commonly provided with cushioning means, generally including metallic springs and it is the object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cushioning means which is particularly applicable for use in connection with a saddle embodying a seating member and a reach member adapted for relative bodily movement. The reach member of the saddle comprises an elongated member disposed beneath the seating member and extending longitudinally thereof, this reach member being adapted to be in turn connected to and supported by the customary saddle post.

In the preferred form of the invention the reach member is hingedly connected to the seating member at one end and its other end, hereinafter designated the free end, is connected to the seating member by a novel mechanism including a device in the nature oi a toggle, a tension spring being associated with this device and yieldingly opposing relative movements of the parts of the toggle and hence relative movements of the reach member and seating member toward each other.

One embodiment of the invention will be disclosed by way of example but one skilled in the art will appreciate that minor changes in design and arrangement of the component elements thereof may be made, in adapting the invention to saddles of different types, without departure from the teachings of the invention.

In the drawing: y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the saddle showing the improved cushioning means;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Figure 3, the operative parts of the mechanism, however, being shown in different positions by the use of full dotted lines.

The seating member is indicated at I0 and the reach member at I I. While the specic constructions of these two members may vary widely, I prefer to form the seating member by shaping a metal sheet into the desired form by a pressing f operation and prefer to form the reach member aligned apertures of the lugs I4 and I5 projecting downwardly from plate I6 secured to member I are passed a pivot member or bolt I6, the reach member being thereby pivotally or hingedly connected to the forward end of the seating member.

The free end of the reach member, i. e., the

end remote from pivot I6, is connected to the seating member through a toggle-like device which includes the link Il and the arms I8 of bell crank levers L and L. Link I'I comprises a flat base portion il and anges |12 and |13, a bolt or rivet i9 passing through aligned apertures in the flanges and also through aligned apertures in the reach member parts I2 and I3 so that the link is hinge-dly connected to the end of the reach member. indicated at 2S.

The two bell crank levers L and L are preferably identical and one only need be described. The arm i8 o bell crank L has its lower end inwardly turned to pass through an aperture formed in the upper end of link |13. At its upper end the arm It has two aligned horizontally extending portions 22 and 23, portion 23 extending through an aperture formed in flange 24 of bracket member 25 rigidly secured to the seating member and the aligned portion 22 resting in a notch formed in a similar flange 26 also depending from the bracket plate 25. Intermediate the aligned portions 22 and 23 of the bell crank L is the U-shaped second arm of this lever, indicated at 2i. From an inspection of Figures l and 4 it will be perceived that the arms I8 and 2l' are disposed at an acute angle to each other. To the Curved mid portion of the arm 2l is connected one end of the coiled tension spring 39. The opposite end of spring 30 is closely coiled about a grooved core 3l which is rigidly secured by means of a bolt 32 to the depending bracket arm 33 integral with plate 25, this plate being secured firmly to the seating member I0, as by means of bolts, one of which is indicated at 34, or by welding or otherwise. v

When the saddle is unloaded its parts occupy the relative positions in which they are shown in Figure 1 and in full lines in Figure 4, the spring being retracted and compacted and the base plate I'I' o1" the link member Il having its forward or inner face contacting with the end surfaces of the reach member parts l2 and I3, the end of the reach member thereby comprising a limited stop for counterclockwise rotation of the link I1 about its pivotal supporting bolt or rivet I9. When weight is superposed upon the seating member it will be depressed, the reach member being rigidly suspended by the seat post in the customary way, the seating post being, however, not illustrated; Any suitable type of seat post is adapted for use in combination with the improved saddle. As the seating member is depressed, for instance when it moves from the position in which it is shown in dotted lines, the toggle device comprising link I'I and crank arm i8 will be actuated, the thrust of link I'I upon the arm IS causing the bell crank L to rotate in a counterclockwise direction against the action of spring 30. Spring 30 will be ex- A spacing sleeve encircling bolt I9 is tended and will elongate to some such position as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4. The extent of elongation of the spring will be dependent upon the load imposed upon the seating member, as is well understood. The two springs shown, therefore, will carry the Weight of the rider, acting through the bell cranks and links illustrated and the springs, thus distended, are still free to expand further and contract as will be necessary as the vehicle upon which the saddle is mounted passes over inequalities in the roadway, the bell cranks L and L rocked about their common pivotal axis in either direction of rotation, depending upon whether the springs 30 `are expanding or contracting. The relative lengths of arms I8 and 2T of the levers may be varied in different saddles, and likewise springs of different capacity may be used, all with the end in View of promoting maximum riding comfort for riders of different weights.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a saddle for cycles, in combination, a seating member, a reach member extending longitudinally of the seating member and having one end hingedly connected thereto, and means for yieldingly opposing movement of the seating member toward the reach member, said means including a tension spring extending longitudinally of the seating and reach members and disposed upon one side of the longitudinal center line of said members and parallel thereto, means supporting said spring at one end upon one of said members and means connecting the other end of said spring to the other oi said members, said last named means comprising a rock shaft having a transverse horizontal portion rotatably mounted upon the member from which said spring is supported, and a pair of crank arms on said rock shaft which are spaced apart in a direction transverse to said seating and reach members, one of said crank arms connected to the free end of said spring and the other operatively connected with said other member.

2. In a saddle for cycles, in combination, a seating member, a reach member extending longitudinally of the seating member and having one end hingedly connected thereto, and means for yieldingly opposing movement of the seating member toward the reach member, said means including a tension spring extending longitudinally of the seating member, means connecting one end of the tension spring to the seating member and means including a crank and link for operatively connecting the free end of the reach member to the other end of the spring.

3. In a saddle for cycles, the combination with seating and reach members of means for yieldingly resisting relative movement of said members toward each other, said means including a two-armed lever pivotally mounted on the seating member, a link connecting one arm of said lever to the free end of the reach member, and resilient means opposing movement of said lever under the thrust of said link, said reach member and link being provided with mutualh7 engaging parts which limit the rocking movement of the lever under the influence of the spring.

4. In a saddle for cycles comprising a substantially rigid seating member or base, a reach member extending longitudinally of said seating member, one end of said reach member being conneoted to one end of said seating member in such manner that said seating member may swing bodily about said connection toward and away from said reach member, the combination of means for yieldingly resisting relative movement of said members toward each other, said means including a two-armed lever pivotally mounted on the seating member, a link connecting one arm of said lever to the free end of the reach member and adapted to move saidlever when said seating and reach members are moved relatively to each other, and a tension spring connecting one of said members with a portion of said lever and adapted to be extended in opposing movement of said lever under the thrust of said link.

5. In a saddle for cycles, the combination with seating and reach members of means for yieldingly resisting relative movement of said members toward each other, said means including a twoarmed lever pivotally mounted on said seating member, said reach member having a squared free end, an element pivotally connected to one si-de of said free end of the reach member and adapted to abut said end upon limited pivotal movement of said element upon the occurrence of relative separating' movement between said members, one arm of said lever being pivotally connected with said element, and a spring connecting the other arm of said lever with one of said members for resiliently opposing pivotal movement of said lever and element. k

6. In a saddle for cycles, the combination with seating and reach members of means for yieldingly resisting relative movement of said members toward each other, said means including a centrally disposed element pivotally mounted upon the free end or" said reach member, a pair of two-armed levers each being pivotally mounted upon said seating member on either side thereof, one arm of each of said levers being connected with said element, a pair of tension springs disposed one upon either side of said seating member and respectively connected with the other arms ci said two-armed levers to resiliently resist pivotal movement of said levers and said element, said element and the end of said reach member adapted to abut upon limited relative movement in one direction in order to limit the swinging movement of said seating `and reach members in directions away from each other.

'7. In a saddle for cycles, the combination with seating and reach members of means for yieldingly resisting relative movement of said members toward each other, said means including a l centrally disposed element pivotally mounted upon the free end of said reach member, a pair of levers each being pivotally mounted upon said seating member on either side thereof, a portion of each of said levers being connected with said element, a pair of springs disposed one upon either side of said seating member and respectively connected with other portions of said levers to resiliently resist pivotal movement of said levers and said element, said element and the end of said reach member adapted to abut upon limited relative movement in one direction in order to limit the swinging movement of said seating and reach members in directions away from each other.

EARL W. SWETT. 

